


Burden of Proof

by curi_o



Series: Pain for Jayne [14]
Category: Firefly
Genre: Content: Angst, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2006-08-30
Updated: 2006-08-30
Packaged: 2017-11-09 01:52:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 652
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/449941
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/curi_o/pseuds/curi_o
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p><em>Ruttin’</em> feng le <em>woman</em>.  If she hadn’t got her so-called “genius” <em>pi gu</em> snatched, he wouldn’t have to be on this <em>gorram</em> rescue mission in the first place.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Burden of Proof

**Author's Note:**

> Prompt: Still

* * *

Jayne was hot. He could feel the sweat slipping down his spine, along the trough in the center of his back. A fly buzzed in his ear, and he fought the urge to swipe at it. He was playing sniper on this little adventure. Mal’d put a bullet to him if’n he screwed it up ‘cause he couldn’t keep still.

 _Ruttin’_ feng le _woman_. If she hadn’t got her so-called “genius” _pi gu_ snatched, he wouldn’t have to be on this _gorram_ rescue mission in the first place. He could be playin’ cards with… with… Well, he could play Solitaire. ‘Course, like as not, Moonbrain’d show up an’ want to play along.

He just couldn’t catch a break for tryin’. No matter which where he was, the little killer woman ended up there, sooner or later. Came to be he thought the only place to hide from her was in the head. ‘Course, that was a’fore the day he’d barely had time to wrap a towel ‘round his waist ‘fore she dropped from the ceiling.

So, he’d maybe stopped tryin’ so hard. It weren’t all bad, havin’ a pretty little thing trailin’ him ever’where. With Wash an’ Book gone, entertainment weren’t exactly abundant, an’ she prob’ly felt it, too. Plus, Crazy was nothin’ if she weren’t entertainin’. She’d talk a blue streak, if’n a body’d let her.

Mostly he tried to avoid the talkin’ bits, though. He barely understood a word came out her mouth. He got her to spot him liftin’. He’d tried playin’ cards with her, but it weren’t no fun. He couldn’t win _cheatin’_ , ‘cause her smarts was about as sure a cheat as existed.

They’d sparred some, too. Turned out to be good for keepin’ her sane, ‘cause she was learnin’ to control her body better. ‘Course, Jayne weren’t sure it was so good for him. That time in the Maidenhead weren’t nothin’ to some of the _go se_ she did. 

Mal tried to convince him it sharpened his reaction times, but Mal weren’t the one’d been slashed on an’ had his _self_ twisted an’ his ankle sprained an’ his hand broken, not to mention gettin’ three concussions an’ a handful of weaves. ‘Sides, what did Jayne need with “reaction time”? He had size an’ weight an’ muscle an’, best of all, Vera.

An’ a crazy woman. She was kinda like a friend, he figured. Not that girlfolk could be trusted well enough to make decent friends for men, but she was loyal as any female was capable of bein’. 

He was gonna start teachin’ her how to handle his weapons when they got back. A man in Jayne’s line of work, he didn’t have the longest life. It was important to know his girls’d have a good home with someone could take good care of ‘em when he couldn’t no more.

 _Finally_. The folk that had snatched the little witch entered the clearing, pushin’ her in front of them. Well, if’n that weren’t a foolish thing to do. He could hardly wait for the girl to go Reaver Slayer on their sorry skins.

Mal was makin’ his usually smart-ass chatter at the woman appeared to be the leader of the Crazy-nappers. When the captain addressed the muscle directly behind Moonbrain, Jayne lined the sumbitch in his sights. He was gonna enjoy this. He might’ve even done it free. ‘Course, he was gettin’ paid, so no one had to find out.

That _gorram_ fly was back. It landed on his nose as he squeezed the trigger.

It was never quite clear how it had happened. Maybe the fly’d screwed with his aim. Maybe he’d closed his eyes as he fired. Maybe that _feng le_ woman’d moved in the instant before the bullet reached its destination.

It didn’t really matter. Jayne’s bullet was buried in River’s brain as she lay, still and bleeding, on the floor of the clearing.


End file.
